Success for Islay event

The best from the west conquered the beast from the east last Friday night as a considerable audience came down from Islay for the Glasgow Islay Association’s annual gathering.

Due to the weather, the audience was inevitably slightly smaller than in previous years but those who made the long trip were rewarded with an excellent night of entertainment.

The concert’s chairman, David MacArthur, was a class act and had everyone in stitches with local stories and jokes. His finest moment was surely his introduction to Alasdair Currie (the 2017 Mòd gold medallist) in which he regaled the audience with tales of Alasdair from the likes of the Mòd and Tiree Music Festival but then, on a more serious note, expressed how proud the island had been when local lad, Alasdair, won the medal last October.

Alasdair lived up to expectations with a fine performance, while the other performers Clare Jordan, Martainn Skene and accompanist Kirsteen Grant - also sang and played exceptionally well.

There was a lot of good pipe music throughout the evening with the solo performances of gathering regular Pipe Major Andrew MacCowan as well as the collective effort of the brilliant Islay Pipe Band. The dance with Trail West was extremely good fun indeed.

All in all, it was a successful gathering – despite the Siberian weather’s attempt to throw it into jeopardy.

Well done to new association president Katherine McNaughton and her committee for organising such a fine evening. Musical Association as well as the fact that Kenny Thomson has been with the GGs for 50 years - 15 as a singer and 35 as conductor: a quite remarkable achievement.

The following night, the choir will hold a special dinner dance to continue the celebrations.

Kenny’s influence on Gaelic music over those years has been immense. I remember learning a lot from his musical wisdom when he adjudicated solo competitions at the Mòd when I was younger and have since enjoyed working with him on projects such as his own composition of George Campbell Hay’s Seeker Reaper, and a Celtic Connections concert called The Clyde and the Commonwealth.

The celebrations are very much deserved.